&977 


GIFT  OF 
Fletcher  Harper  Swift 


JOSEPH     AND     HIS      BRETHEREN 


(Raphael) 


JOSEPH 


SCENE  PLAY  FOR  CHILDREN 


BY 


F.  H.  SWIFT 


.EY  HARISON.  PUBLISHER,  47  BROAD  STREET,  NEW  YORK 


JOSEPH 


A    DRAMA     FOR     CHILDREN 

IN  ONE  ACT  AND  THREE  SCENES 


Fletcher  Harper  Swift 

Author  of  "  The  Most  Beautiful  Thing  in  the  World 


With  an  Introduction  by 
RICHARD   MORSE   HODGE 

Teachers  College  Columbia  University  New  York 


Nbw  York 

Copyright  1907  by 

WILLIAM  BEVERLEY  HARISON 

Forty-seven  Broad  Street 


INTRODUCTION 

The  plays  and  games  of  children  testify  to  the  dramatic 
character  of  the  race.  Children  are  actors  by  nature. 
Little  children  are  always  playing  at  parenthood  and 
child-rearing,  doctoring  the  sick,  afternoon  calls,  shop- 
ping, tea  parties,  church  services,  funerals  and  weddings. 
These  plays  upon  the  boards  of  the  nursery  floor  are  in- 
terpretations of  life  as  they  understand  it,  as  truly  as  the 
written  plays  of  older  dramatists  may  be  said  to  mirror 
life  for  adults.  Outdoor  games  also  are  essentially  dram- 
atic. He  who  is  "it"  in  tag  has  a  part  to  perform, 
and  others  in  the  game  have  their  parts  according  to  the 
rules  observed.  The  pitcher,  catcher,  baseman  and  fielder 
have  each  a  role  to  act.  In  every  game  the  players  liter- 
ally act  their  parts. 

In  the  school-room  the  study  of  life  is  confined  com- 
monly to  book  reading,  figuring,  maps  and  pictures.  Ex- 
ceptions are  made  by  some  teachers  by  occasional 
presentations  of  simple  plays  for  the  study  of  history  and 
literature.  Dramatic  songs  are  part  of  the  formal  work 
of  the  kindergarten.  But,  as  a  rule,  when  children  go 
to  school  their  dramatic  activities  are  forgotten  by  most 
of  their  teachers.  Meanwhile,  with  an  independence 
as  refreshing  as  it  is  instructive,  children  continue  to  play 
games  when  out  of  school  and  act  charades  at  home,  and 
youth  organize  dramatic  associations  at  college. 

Once  the  old  miracle  plays  were  relied  upon  for  much 
of  the  biblical  instruction  of  children,  and  grown  people 
as  well;  and  miracle  plays  persist  to  the  present  day  in 
different  parts  of  Europe  and  Mexico.  The  dramatiza- 
tion of  biblical  literature  has  not  been  seriously  consid- 

5 

580640 


6T©dj  howev,er,;  .as.  a-.trieims  of  instructing  children  at 
Su.iday  -'school.'  -Dramatic  work  in  Sunday  school  is  not 
without  attendant  difficulties.  The  educational  purpose 
must  be  guarded.  Acting  must  not  be  allowed  to  degen- 
erate into  a  spirit  of  exhibition  or  a  desire  to  entertain. 
We  want  the  acting  of  a  biblical  story  to  send  a  child  to 
duty  and  the  reading  of  biblical  literature,  and  not  to  the 
theatre.  Again  the  selection  of  stories  for  dramatization 
must  be  made  with  discrimination.  We  may  play  Joseph, 
but  scarcely  Abraham's  Offering  of  Isaac;  a  parable  of 
Jesus,  but  not  his  passion ;  Balaam  and  Balak,  or  a  story 
from  the  Book  of  Acts,  but  not  a  chapter  from  the  deeds 
of  Jehu,  nor  the  practical  jokes  of  Samson. 

On  the  other  hand  the  difficulties  of  dramatizing  bib- 
lical scenes  may  easily  be  exaggerated.  Children  have  a 
more  discriminating  sense  of  the  fitness  of  things  than 
they  generally  are  given  credit  for.  Some  winters  since, 
a  class  of  children  of  the  first  grade  of  the  Model  Sunday 
school  at  Teachers  College  were  about  to  recite  a  lesson 
upon  the  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  They  were  on 
the  large  floor  of  the  kindergarten  room.  One  of  them 
cried :  "Let  us  act  the  story !"  And  act  it  they  did,  and 
with  no  little  zest,  for  children  dote  on  personal  violence 
and  rescue.  The  lesson  which  followed  was  on  Jesus' 
crossing  the  Lake  of  Galilee  in  a  storm.  The  children 
wanted  to  act  this  story  also.  But  every  child  flatly  re- 
fused to  take  the  part  of  Jesus.  It  was  finally  arranged 
between  the  children  and  teacher  that  one  little  girl  should 
stand  apart  and  read  the  words  of  Jesus  belonging  to  the 
narrative,  while  the  others  acted  the  story.  So  they 
played  the  scene  in  a  make-believe  boat,  in  a  make-believe 
storm,  on  a  make-believe  lake,  without  a  Jesus  in  the 
boat! 

Three  years  ago  Professor  Fletcher  Harper  Swift,  an 
alumnus  of  Union  Theological  Seminary,  and  at  that  time 


a  graduate  student  at  Teachers  College,  was  encouraged 
to  make  an  experiment  with  children  of  acting  the  story 
of  Joseph.  He  dramatized  the  story  and  enlisted  for  its 
production  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  Seventh  Grade  of 
Speyer  School,  the  experimental  school  of  Teachers  Col- 
lege. He  was  ably  assisted  by  Mrs.  A.  F.  Carter,  teacher 
of  the  Seventh  Grade  of  the  school.  Six  weeks  of  three 
hours  each  were  spent  in  studying  the  biblical  narrative. 
Acting  it  only  deepened  the  impression  already  made. 
The  policy  of  Joseph  of  taking  merciless  advantage  of 
the  straits  of  the  Egyptian  peasantry,  monopolizing  the 
farm  lands  for  the  crown  and  reducing  the  population  to 
slavery,  is  wisely  passed  over  in  the  drama  prepared  by 
Professor  Swift. 

The  manner  of  producing  the  play  was  very  simple. 
The  story  was  reduced  to  three  scenes.  The  parts  were 
divided  between  boys  and  girls,  without  regard  to  sex; 
and  no  attempt  was  made  to  disguise  the  sex  of  the  girls 
in  a  play  of  only  male  characters.  Pharaoh  was  a  girl 
with  her  hair  hanging  about  her  shoulders ;  but  she  had 
a  gilt  paper  crown  on  her  head  and  sat  upon  a  throne 
chair  and  held  a  scepter.  The  part  of  Joseph  was  given 
to  a  different  child  in  each  scene,  so  as  to  distribute  the 
special  benefits  of  acting  the  most  important  character. 
The  play  was  staged  in  the  gymnasium  of  the  school,  and 
a  few  pieces  of  the  gymnasium  apparatus  served  for  the 
hanging  of  simple  draperies  for  the  scenes  presented. 
The  drama  was  acted  before  the  parents  of  the  children 
who  played  it,  and  was  judged  by  them  as  an  educational 
exercise.    They  agreed  that  it  was  a  success. 

The  play  of  Joseph  was  called  for  once  more  during 
the  same  winter  at  Teachers  College  as  a  specimen  of 
dramatic  work,  in  connection  with  a  Sunday  school  con- 
vention and  exhibit,  arranged  bythc  Department  of  Bib- 
lical Literature.    The  production  was  made  in  the  Col- 


lege  Chapel  before  an  audience  of  Sunday-school  teach- 
ers. They  preserved  the  desired  educational  atmosphere 
by  a  respectful  attention,  without  the  intrusion  of  ap- 
plause or  a  recall  of  the  actors !  The  experiment  was 
received  very  cordially.  Many  of  those  present  asked 
for  copies  of  the  score  of  the  play  with  the  idea  of  em- 
ploying the  dramatic  method  of  instruction  in  the  Sunday 
schools  to  which  they  were  attached.  The  play  is  so  well 
written,  it  seems  to  me,  that  it  has  only  to  be  read  to 
explain  its  apparent  success  in  the  first  instance ;  and  it 
may  safely  be  ventured,  I  think,  as  an  example  of  the 
possibilities  which  lie  in  dramatizing  narratives  for  the 
religious  instruction  of  children. 

Dramatic  presentations  might  be  made  before  Sunday 
school  assemblies.  One  or  more  Sunday  sessions  of  the 
year  may  be  devoted  to  the  purpose,  when  a  biblical 
story  could  be  presented  by  a  class  or  by  two  or  three 
classes  in  combination. 

During  the  present  winter  Professor  Swift's  play  has 
been  presented  by  one  of  the  classes  of  a  New  York  priv- 
ate school.  The  study  of  the  piece  was  confined  to  a 
portion  of  the  time  regularly  allotted  to  the  literature 
work  of  the  grade.  The  parents  of  the  children  were 
present  when  the  play  wa.s  acted.  The  experiment  ap- 
pears to  have  been  very  successful. 
New  York,  March,  1907. 

Richard  Morse  Hodge. 


EXPLANATION  BY  THE  AUTHOR. 

"Joseph"  has  been  presented  twice  by  the  Seventh 
Grade  (12-14  years)  of  the  Speyer  School,  New  York 
City,  to  audiences  of  about  three  hundred  people.  Fol- 
lowing the  two  presentations  so  many  requests  for  copies 
of  the  play  were  made  of  the  author,  that  he  was  led  to 

8 


think  of  offering  it  for  publication.  The  question  of 
dramatic  entertainments  for  children  offers  many  diffi- 
culties. How  to  furnish  the  children  something  inspir- 
ing in  its  moral  thought,  classic  in  style,  simple  and  easy 
to  present,  is,  we  hope,  answered  by  the  little  play  which 
follows.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  this  play  has  actually 
been  presented,  those  attempting  to  produce  it  will  be 
saved  many  of  the  trials  commonly  encountered  in  a 
written  but  as  yet  unproduced  drama.  Special  attention 
is  called  to  the  extremely  simple  scenic  requirements 
described  later. 

Dr.  Hodge,  in  his  introduction,  has  made  clear  the 
fact  that  the  dramatization  of  the  story  was  the  aim 
presented  to  the  pupils  at  the  first  and  kept  uppermost 
in  their  minds  to  the  end;  and  yet,  from  the  teacher's 
point  of  view,  this  was  a  secondary  aim.  The  question 
"What  part  of  to-day's  reading  would  make  the  best 
scene  in  a  play?"  invariably  resulted  in  excellent  artistic 
and  literary  criticism  on  the  part  of  the  pupils.  Questions 
concerning  scenes  and  stage-setting  furnished  live  motives 
for  studying  the  manners  and  life  of  a  great  race.  At- 
tempts to  imagine  the  experience  and  feelings  of  Joseph 
on  his  way  to  Egypt  led  to  a  study  of  the  geographical 
and  historic  features  of  Egypt.  Similarly  attempting  to 
picture  the  remorse,  which  Joseph  the  dreamer  must  have 
suffered  before  he  became  Joseph  the  forgiver,  led  to  a 
discussion  of  home  ethics:  the  relations  of  father  to  sons 
and  brother  to  brother.  The  question,  "Would  you  like 
to  change  the  last  scene  and  have  Joseph  take  revenge 
on  his  brothers  instead  of  forgiving  them  ?"  brought  forth 
the  beauty  of  forgiveness  and  love.  It  is  my  hope  that 
these  few  questions  will  show  how  teaching  a  story  as 
dramatic  literature  increases  its  power  to  arouse  in  chil- 
dren an  appreciation  and  love  for  the  beautiful  and  noble 
in  literature  and  life. 

9 


COSTUMES. 

The  elaborateness  of  costumes  will  depend  entirely 
upon  the  taste  and  facilities  of  those  managing  the  play. 
If  the  play  is  to  be  presented  as  a  part  of  school  work, 
e.  g.,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  study  of  the  story  of  Joseph, 
the  simpler  the  costumes  the  better. 

Joseph — (Scene  I.)  A  flowing  robe,  ornamented  with 
a  border  of  patchwork,  long  sleeves ;  a  loose,  short,  purple 
jacket;  a  white  under-robe,  and  a  turban. 

(Scene  II.)    Red  robe;  head  bare. 

(Scene  III.)  White  robe,  bordered  with  purple; 
Egyptian  head-dress. 

The  Brothers  of  Joseph — Flowing  robes  and  turbans 
of  various  colors. 

Pharaoh — Egyptian  costume:  purple  and  white  robes 
and  a  head-dress. 

Magicians — Black  robes,  trimmed  with  red. 

Page — Yellow  or  olive  robe. 


SCENERY. 

An  oblong  rectangular  frame,  supported  by  four  poles. 
The  dimensions  of  the  frame  will  depend  upon  the  height 
of  the  children  and  the  size  of  the  platform.  The  frame 
originally  used  was  a  pair  of  parallel  bars  belonging  to  a 
gymnasium.  Throughout  the  play  the  frame  may  stand 
at  the  rear  center  of  the  platform  and  be  used  as  follows : 

In  Scene  I,  for  the  brothers'  tent  in  the  Field  of 
Dothan,  drape  the  top,  back  and  ends  of  the  frame  with 

10 


black  cloth,  bearing  in  mind  that  the  oriental  nomadic 
tents  are  oblong,  with  flat  roofs.  Hang  two  oriental  cur- 
tains or  rugs  from  the  roof  to  the  floor  at  either  side  of 
the  opening  in  front.  Stretch  a  strip  of  oriental  cloth 
along  the  entire  length  of  the  roof  in  front,  allowing  it 
to  hang  down  over  the  front  as  a  border,  about  a  foot 
and  a  half  deep.  Skins  and  implements  suggestive  of 
nomadic  life  may  be  hung  about  the  tent  entrance,  or 
placed  on  the  floor  near  the  tent. 

In  Scene  II  the  frame  may  be  transformed  into  a 
background  for  Pharaoh's  throne.  The  only  change  to 
be  made  here  will  be  to  cover  the  front  of  the  frame  with 
as  rich  draperies  and  oriental  rugs  as  can  be  had.  Place 
a  chair  covered  with  oriental  draperies  at  the  center,  on 
a  slight  elevation  in  front  of  the  frame.  From  the  foot 
of  the  chair  stretch  on  the  floor  a  long  strip  of  oriental 
cloth,  or  a  rug. 

In  Scene  III  the  frame  may  be  made  to  represent 
the  entrance  to  Joseph's  house.  Remove  the  throne 
chair.  Take  away  the  oriental  draperies  from  the  centre 
of  the  frame,  leaving  an  opening  similar  to  that  of  the 
tent  in  Scene  I,  only  narrower. 

The  three  scenes  are  designedly  simple,  but  can  be 
made  very  effective.  In  place  of  oriental  draperies  and 
rugs,  strips  of  canton  flannel  or  cheese-cloth  may  be 
used.  Dull  browns,  blues,  reds  and  purple  are  the  best 
colors. 

No  Curtain. — No  curtain  is  necessary.  The  shift- 
ing of  the  scenery  by  the  children,  and  the  simplicity 
and  completeness  of  the  transformation  will  interest  the 
audience. 

Exits. — At  the  right  an  exit  may  be  formed  by  three 
double  screens. 

Programs. — If  programs  are  not  used,  it  will  be  well 
for  the  manager  to  announce  the  place  of  each  scene. 

11 


CHARACTERS. 

Joseph  : 

Taken  by  a  different  person  in  each  scene,  owing  to  the 

lapse  of  time,  and  irrespective  of  sex. 

The  Brothers  : 

Reuben,  Judah,  Benjamin,  Dan,  Naphtali,  Gad,  Simeon, 

Levi,  Asher. 

Pharaoh. 
First  Magician.  Third  Magician. 

Second  Magician.  Fourth  Magician. 

Page.  Butler. 


SCENES. 
Scene  I The  Field  of  Dothan. 

Scene  II Throne-room  in  the  Palace  of  Pharaoh. 

Scene  III The  Palace  of  Joseph. 


12 


SCENE  I. 

Canaan.  The  Field  of  Dothan.  Before  the  tent  of 
Joseph's  brothers.  Dan,  Gad,  Naphtali,  reclining  in  the 
tent  door;  the  other  brothers  outside;  Judah,  standing  at 
the  left;  Simeon  and  Levi,  at  the  right  of  tent;  Reuben, 
sitting  on  the  ground  at  the  right,  between  Simeon  and 
the  tent;  and  Asher,  sitting  at  the  left,  between  Judah 
and  the  tent.    Exit  at  the  right. 

Judah.    Behold  the  dreamer! 

Dan.    What  meanest  thou  by  the  "dreamer"? 

Naphtali.    Yes,  explain  thyself ! 

Simeon.  What!  Hast  thou  not  heard  of  Joseph's 
dreams?  How'  he  strutted  about,  his  head  high  in  air, 
and  expected  us  to  bow  down  before  him  as  if  he  were  a 
king! 

Dan  and  Naphtali.    Nay,  nay,  tell  us  about  them. 

Judah.  Joseph,  our  father  Jacob,  and  some  of  us 
were  seated  in  the  tent.  Up  spake  Joseph,  saying: 
"Hear,  I  pray  you,  this  dream  which  I  have  dreamed ;  for 
behold,  we  were  binding  sheaves  in  the  field,  and  lo,  my 
sheaf  arose,  and  also  stood  upright;  and  behold,  your 
sheaves  stood  round  about,  and  made  obeisance  to  my 
sheaf." 

The  brothers,  excepting  Judah,  Levi  and  Rueben.  Shall 
he  indeed  reign  over  us,  or  shall  he  indeed  have  dominion 
over  us? 

Levi.  Yes,  and  this  was  not  all!  Once  more  did  he 
arise  and  speak  in  his  pride:  "Behold,  I  have  dreamed 
yet  another  dream!  The  sun  and  the  moon  and  the 
eleven  stars  made  obeisance  to  me."  Even  our  father 
Jacob  was  roused  to  indignation  at  his  words  and  said: 
"What  is  this  dream  that  thou  hast  dreamed?     Shall  I 

13 


and  thy  mother  and  thy  brethren  indeed  come  to  bow 
down  ourselves  to  thee  to  the  earth?" 

[The  brothers  rise  and  come  out  of  the  tent. 

The  brothers,  excepting  Reuben.  Shall  we  endure  such 
insolence  ?  Shall  we  let  our  younger  brother  thus  lord  it 
over  us?  Nay,  let  us  slay  him  and  cast  him  into  some 
pit,  and  we  will  say,  "Some  evil  beast  hath  devoured 
him."  [Reuben  rises. 

Reuben.  O  brethren,  let  us  not  kill  our  brother,  lest 
we  inherit  the  curse  of  Cain  who  slew  Abel.  Shed  no 
blood.  Cast  him  into  this  pit  that  is  in  the  wilderness, 
but  lay  no  hand  upon  him.  [Aside]  I  will  go  and  get 
helpers  and  rid  him  of  their  hands,  to  deliver  him  unto 
his  father  again.  [Exit  Reuben. 

Enter  Joseph. 

The  Brothers.  [Angrily.]  Lo,  he  is  here.  Come  now 
and  let  us  cast  him  into  yonder  pit,  and  we  shall  see  what 
will  become  of  his  dreams ! 

[Simeon  and  Levi  seize  Joseph. 

Joseph.  [Bewildered.]  What  have  I  done  unto  my 
brethren  ?    What  do  ye  seek  to  do  with  me  ? 

Simeon  and  Levi.  [Stripping  him  of  his  coat.]  Thou 
shalt  wear  this  coat  no  more. 

The  Brothers.  In  the  pit  thou  canst  tell  thy  dreams 
to  snakes  and  jackals.    Away  to  the  pit! 

[Exeunt  Simeon  and  Levi  dragging  Joseph. 

Gad.  We  are  well  rid  of  him.  The  stars  of  Dothan 
will  stare  upon  his  starved  corpse  but  will  tell  no  tale. 
Lo!  a  cloud  of  dust  in  the  distance.    Who  comes  hither? 

Asher.  A  band  of  Ishmaelites.  Am  I  not  right?  Yes. 
They  are  carrying  spicery,  balm  and  myrrh ! 

15 


Judah.  Brethren,  what  profit  is  it  if  we  slay  our 
brother,  and  conceal  his  blood?  Come,  and  let  us  sell 
him  to  the  Ishmaelites  and  let  not  our  hand  be  upon  him ; 
for  he  is  our  brother  and  our  flesh. 

The  Brothers.  Yes,  let  us  sell  him.  We  shall  thus 
escape  the  curse  of  Cain  and  fill  our  empty  purses. 

[Exeunt  brothers. 

Enter  Reuben,  displaying  the  coat  of  many  colors 
covered  with  blood. 

Reuben.  Alas,  I  could  find  no  one  to  help  me  rescue 
the  child.  This  I  found  at  the  mouth  of  the  pit!  The 
child  whom  my  father  loved  dearer  than  life  is  not !  And 
I,  O  whither  shall  I  go? 


SCENE  II. 

The  Palace  of  Pharaoh.  Throne  Room.  Pharaoh 
seated  on  throne.  The  First  and  Second  Magicians  stand- 
ing at  the  right,  the  Third  and  Fourth  Magicians  stand- 
ing at  the  left. 

Pharaoh.  These  dreams  perplex  me  sorely.  Magi- 
cians, have  ye  no  interpretation  for  me  yet? 

The  Chief  Magician.  My  lord,  while  we  have  been 
withdrawn  from  our  duties  the  fires  upon  the  altars  of 
the  Sun  have  gone  out  three  times  and  three  times  have 
been  rekindled.  In  all  this  time  we  have  tasted  no  morsel 
of  food,  closed  no  eye  in  sleep,  and  yet  the  gods  of  Egypt 
withhold  from  us  the  interpretation  of  thy  dreams. 

The  Second  Magician.  Hear  me,  my  lord,  there  is 
in  thy  household  one  who  hath  acquaintance  with  an 
interpreter  of  dreams,  even  thy  majesty's  chief  butler. 

17 


Pharaoh.  [To  the  Second  Magician.]  Go  thou  with 
haste  and  bring  the  butler  to  me. 

[Exit  the  Second  Magician. 
Pharaoh.    O  Isis  of  Egypt,  hear  my  prayer. 

The  Third  Magician.  O  Isis  and  all  the  gods  of 
Egypt,  show  us  favor. 

Enter  the  Second  Magician  and  the  Chief  Butler. 

[They  prostrate  themselves. 

Pharaoh.  I  am  told  thou  knowest  one  who  interprets 
dreams.    Tell  me,  is  this  true? 

The  Butler.  Thou  sayest,  my  lord.  There  is  in  the 
great  white  prison  a  young  Hebrew  who  oversees  his 
fellow  prisoners.  In  the  day  of  my  distress  when  I  was 
a  prisoner  he  did  interpret  truly  for  me  a  dream,  and  a 
like  office  did  he  perform  for  him  who  was  then  thy  chief 
baker.  , 

Pharaoh.  What  was  thy  dream  and  how  did  he  in- 
terpret it? 

The  Butler.  In  my  dream,  behold,  a  vine  was  before 
me ;  and  in  the  vine  were  three  branches ;  and  it  was  as 
though  it  budded,  and  her  blossoms  shot  forth;  and  the 
clusters  thereof  brought  forth  ripe  grapes ;  and  Pharaoh's 
cup  was  in  my  hand ;  and  I  took  the  grapes  and  pressed 
them  into  Pharaoh's  cup,  and  I  gave  the  cup  into  Pha- 
raoh's hand.  Likewise  the  chief  of  the  bakers  had  a 
dream.  And  there  was  no  magician  by  us  to  interpret 
them.  The  Hebrew  youth  saw  our  grief  written  in  our 
faces.  He  asked  of  us  the  cause.  We  told  him  our 
dreams,  and  he — 

Pharaoh.   And  he? 

The  Butler.  And  he  did  give  to  each  of  us  the  true 
interpretation  of  our  dreams;  for  lo,  I,  as  he  promised, 
was  restored  to  my  place  and  the  baker  was  hanged. 

19 


Pharaoh.  Truly  this  is  a  story  that  gives  hope.  Butler, 
depart  and  bring  this  Hebrew  to  me,  but  woe  to  thee  if 
he  fail  to  interpret  to  me  my  dreams.  [Exit  Butler. 

The  Chief  Magician.  [To  Pharaoh.]  At  last  the  gods 
send  us  a  ray  of  hope. 

The  Fourth  Magician.  I  have  oft  heard  that  these 
Hebrews  are  able  to  interpret  dreams. 

The  Magicians.  We  pray  the  gods  of  the  Nile  and 
all  Egypt  to  show  favor  unto  the  Shining  Star  of  Egypt, 
the  noble  Pharaoh. 

Enter  The  Butler  and  Joseph. 

[  They  bow. 

Pharaoh.   Arise,  Hebrew.    What  is  thy  name? 

Joseph.  [Rises.]  Noble  King,  the  name  of  thy  ser- 
vant is  Joseph. 

Plxaraoh.  Joseph,  I  have  heard  of  thee  that  thou  art 
able  to  interpret  dreams. 

Joseph.  Not  I,  my  lord,  but  Jehovah  the  God  of  my 
fathers  shall  give  unto  Pharaoh  the  interpretation  of  his 
dreams. 

Pharaoh.  Thou  namest  a  god  I  know  not.  May  he 
prove  more  kind  to  Pharaoh  than  the  gods  of  Egypt.  If 
thou  dost  interpret  my  dreams  for  me,  thou  shalt  not  be 
unrewarded.    Hearest  thou  this? 

Joseph.  Let  Pharaoh  relate  unto  Joseph  his  servant 
his  dreams,  and  by  the  God  of  my  fathers  they  shall  be 
interpreted. 

Pharaoh.  In  my  dream,  behold,  I  stood  upon  the  bank 
of  the  river;  and  behold,  there  came  up  out  of  the  river 
seven  cattle,  fat  fleshed  and  well  favored ;  and  they  fed  in 
a  meadow ;  and  behold,  seven  other  cattle  came  up,  after 
them,  poor  and  very  ill  favored  and  lean  fleshed,  such  as 
I  never  saw  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  for  badness;  and 

21 


the  lean  and  the  ill  favored  cattle  did  eat  up  the  first 
seven  fat  cattle;  and  when  they  had  eaten  them  up,  it 
could  not  be  known  that  they  had  eaten  them  but  they 
were  still  ill  favored  as  at  the  beginning.  So  I  awoke. 
And  I  saw  in  my  dream,  and  behold,  seven  ears  came 
upon  one  stalk,  full  and  good;  and  behold,  seven  ears, 
withered,  thin  and  blasted  with  the  east  wind,  sprung  up 
after  them;  and  the  thin  ears  devoured  the  seven  good 
ears;  and  I  told  this  unto  the  magicians;  but  there  was 
none  that  could  declare  it  to  me. 

Joseph.  The  dream  of  Pharaoh  is  one;  God  hath 
showed  Pharaoh  what  he  is  about  to  do.  The  seven  good 
cattle  are  seven  years ;  and  the  seven  good  ears  are  seven 
years;  and  the  dream  is  one.  And  the  seven  thin  and 
ill  favored  cattle  that  came  up  after  them  are  seven  years ; 
and  the  seven  empty  ears  blasted  with  the  east  wind  shall 
be  seven  years  of  famine.  This  is  the  thing  which  I  have 
spoken  unto  Pharaoh.  Behold  there  come  seven  years 
of  great  plenty  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  and 
there  shall  arise  after  them  seven  years  of  famine;  and 
all  the  plenty  shall  be  forgotten  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and 
the  famine  shall  consume  the  land ;  and  the  plenty  shall 
not  be  known  in  the  land  by  reason  of  that  famine  fol- 
lowing, for  it  shall  be  very  grievous. 

The  Chief  Magician.  Pray  tell  us  why  if  the  dream 
be  one  was  it  doubled  unto  Pharaoh. 

Joseph.  The  dream  was  doubled  unto  Pharaoh  be- 
cause the  thing  is  established  by  God,  and  God  will 
shortly  bring  it  to  pass. 

Pharaoh.  Thy  interpretation  speaks  with  the  voice  of 
truth,  but  canst  thou  not  do  more  than  this?  Tell  me, 
I  pray  thee,  what  shall  I  do  to  make  ready  for  this  evil 
day. 

Joseph.     Now,  therefore,  let  Pharaoh  look  out  a  man 

23 


discreet  and  wise,  and  set  him  over  the  land  of  Egypt. 
Let  Pharaoh  do  this,  and  let  him  appoint  officers  over  the 
land,  and  take  up  the  fifth  part  of  the  land  of  Egypt  in 
the  seven  plenteous  years.  And  let  them  gather  all  the 
food  of  those  good  years  that  come,  and  lay  up  corn 
under  the  hand  of  Pharaoh,  and  let  them  keep  food  in 
the  cities.  And  that  food  shall  be  for  store  to  the  land 
against  seven  years  of  famine,  which  shall  be  in  the  land 
of  Egypt ;  that  the  land  perish  not  through  the  famine. 

Pharaoh.  [To  the  magicians.]  Where  can  we  find 
such  a  one  as  this,  a  man  in  whom  the  wisdom  of  a 
god  is? 

Magicians.  Let  Joseph  be  set  over  the  land  of  Egypt 
to  prepare  it  for  the  evil  days  to  come. 

Pharaoh.  [Taking  off  his  ring  and  putting  it  on 
Joseph's  finger.]  Forasmuch  as  God  hath  showed  thee 
all  this,  there  is  none  so  discreet  and  wise  as  thou  art. 
Thou  shalt  be  over  my  house;  [Putting  a  golden  chain 
about  Joseph's  neck.]  and  according  unto  thy  word  shall 
my  people  be  ruled ;  only  in  the  throne  will  I  be  greater 
than  thou.  [Arrays  him  in  a  robe  of  white  and  gold.] 
Thou  shalt  ride  in  my  second  chariot  and  all  men  shall 
bow  the  knee  to  thee. 

The  magicians  and  the  others.  [Bowing  the  knee  and 
stretching  out  the  hands.]  Hail,  hail,  bow  the  knee  to 
Joseph.  Joseph,  the  dreamer,  who  Pharaoh  hath  set  over 
all  the  land  of  Egypt.    Bow  the  knee  to  Joseph. 


SCENE  III. 

Before  the  Palace  of  Joseph.  Joseph  standing  before 
the  entrance.  All  the  brothers  present,  except  Benjamin, 
prostrating  themselves  before  Joseph  with  heads  bowed  to 
the  ground. 

25 


Joseph.  [Aside.]  This  day  are  my  dreams  come  true. 
Here  are  my  brethren  at  my  feet.  [Aloud  to  brothers, 
roughly.]  Ye  are  spies,  dogs  of  Canaan.  To  see  the 
nakedness  of  the  land  ye  are  come. 

Judah.  [Rising.]  Mercy,  my  lord.  Have  mercy. 
We  come  from  the  land  of  Canaan  for  naught  but  to  buy 
food. 

Joseph.  Nay,  but  to  see  the  nakedness  of  Egypt  are 
ye  come.  [The  brothers  rise. 

Asher.  Nay,  my  lord,  but  to  buy  food  are  thy  servants 
come.  We  are  all  one  man's  sons.  We  are  true  men. 
Thy  servants  are  no  spies. 

Levi.  Thy  servants  are  twelve  brethren,  sons  of  one 
man  in  the  land  of  Canaan;  and  behold,  the  youngest  is 
this  day  with  our  father,  and  one  is  not. 

Joseph.  Ye  are  spies;  hereby  ye  shall  be  proved;  by 
the  life  of  Pharaoh,  ye  shall  not  go  forth  hence,  except 
your  youngest  brother  come  hither.  Send  one  of  you, 
and  let  him  fetch  your  brother,  and  ye  shall  be  kept  in 
prison  until  he  come. 

The  Brothers.  [Aside  to  one  another].  Our  guilt  has 
overtaken  us.  We  saw  the  anguish  of  Joseph  and  would 
not  hear. 

Reuben.  [Aside  to  brothers.]  Spake  I  not  unto  you, 
saying,  "Do  not  sin  against  the  child,"  and  ye  would  not 
hear?  Therefore,  behold,  also  his  blood  is  required. 
[Aloud  to  Joseph.]  Have  mercy  upon  thy  servants,  Ruler 
of  the  Nile.  Our  youngest  brother  is  the  comfort  of  our 
father's  declining  years.  Joseph,  who  is  no  more,  he 
loved  the  best,  and  Benjamin,  the  youngest,  he  loved 
next.  If  thou  takest  the  lad  from  him  it  will  bring  down 
the  gray  hairs  of  our  father  Jacob  to  the  grave. 

Joseph.    Ye  fashion  lies  as  easily  as  ye  breathe.    Know 

27 


ye  not  that  to  me  belongs  the  power  to  divine?  Ye  have 
no  younger  brother.  Ye  are  not  the  sons  of  one  man. 
Ye  are  spies  come  from  every  corner  of  Canaan.  Unless 
I  see  your  youngest  brother  ye  shall  die  the  death  of 
spies.  [The  brothers  prostrate  themselves. 

Joseph.  [Aside.]  My  love  for  them  nearly  chokes  my 
words.  If  Benjamin  were  here  I  could  no  longer  refrain 
from  making  myself  known  unto  them. 

Enter  page  with  Benjamin. 

Joseph.  [Aside.]  God  of  Jacob,  do  my  eyes  indeed 
behold  Benjamin?  [Aloud  to  page.]  Who  is  this  thou 
bringest  ? 

The  Page.  One  who  says  he  is  the  youngest  brother 
of  these  same  Hebrews. 

Joseph.  [To  brothers.]  Rise,  men  of  Canaan.  Did 
ye  not  say  your  youngest  brother  was  in  Canaan  ? 

The  Brothers.    Thou  say  est. 

Joseph.     [To  Benjamin.]    How  comest  thou  here? 

Benjamin.  So  long  did  my  brethren  tarry,  so  long 
were  we  kept  waiting  for  food  that  our  father  Jacob 
betook  himself  with  me  and  the  rest  of  his  household  to 
the  land  of  Egypt.  Impatient  and  nearly  dying  with 
famine,  they  wait  in  the  shadow  of  the  pyramids  outside 
the  city  gates. 

Joseph.  Men  of  Canaan,  do  ye  not  known  your 
brother? 

Reuben.  Yea,  Ruler  of  the  Nile,  we  know  him.  It  is 
our  brother  Benjamin. 

Joseph.    Sons  of  Jacob,  know  ye  not  your  brother? 
29 


Judah.  Yea,  my  lord,  we  know  Benjamin.  He  is 
our  brother,  the  youngest  son  of  our  father  Jacob. 

Joseph.  Sons  of  Jacob,  when  last  did  ye  behold  that 
other  brother,  the  one  ye  say  is  not? 

The  Brothers.  [Aside,  greatly  troubled.]  What  shall 
we  say?    [Aloud.]    He  has  been  dead  these  many  years. 

Joseph.  Look  on  me,  sons  of  Jacob.  I  am  Joseph. 
Doth  my  father  yet  live?  [The  brothers  prostrate  them- 
selves.] Rise,  my  brethren.  Come  near  to  me,  1  pray 
you.  I  am  Joseph,  your  brother,  whom  ye  sold  into 
Egypt.  Now,  therefore,  be  not  grieved  nor  angry  with 
yourselves  that  ye  sold  me  hither,  for  God  did  send  me 
before  you  to  preserve  life.  For  these  two  years  hath  the 
famine  been  in  the  land,  and  yet  there  are  five  years,  in 
the  which  there  shall  neither  be  earing  nor  harvest.  And 
God  sent  me  before  you  to  preserve  you  a  posterity  in 
the  earth,  and  to  save  your  lives  by  a  great  deliverance. 
So  it  was  not  you  who  sent  me  hither,  but  God,  and  he 
hath  made  me  a  ruler  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 
[Embracing  his  brothers.]  Haste  ye  and  go  out  unto  my 
father,  tell  him  of  my  glory,  and  bring  him  hither. 

The  Brothers.  The  dreams  of  Joseph  are  to-day 
come  true.  He  is  become  our  ruler  and  we  are  his 
servants. 

Joseph.  Fear  not,  for  am  I  in  the  place  of  God?  As 
for  you,  ye  planned  evil  against  me,  but  God  meant  it  for 
good.  Now,  therefore,  fear  ye  not;  I  will  nourish  you 
and  your  little  ones. 


31 


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